BOSTON --Torey Krug said that a couple of stitches in his lower lip, courtesy of a hit by Pittsburgh's Beau Bennett on Friday night, are "a little sore, but worth the price.''

BOSTON --Torey Krug said that a couple of stitches in his lower lip, courtesy of a hit by Pittsburgh's Beau Bennett on Friday night, are "a little sore, but worth the price.''

A native of Michigan, Krug rooted for the Red Wings while growing up, which means he is no fan of their big rival, the Blackhawks. He is excited over the Boston-Chicago matchup.

"It means something to me. Growing up, I had all the Original Six posters in my house and in my room. I understand the uniqueness and how special it is. That's one of the reasons I came to Boston. It's an Original Six team with the all the history behind it. I'm looking forward to it.''

Krug said the speed and intensity of the games is increasing as the playoffs go on.

"The desperation level has picked up quite a bit. Everyone's out there doing whatever they can to win hockey games. Especially in the last 30 seconds (of Friday night's game), all five guys on our team were in the crease. That's how it's going to be from here on out.''

As youngsters, Krug and Chicago superstar Patrick Kane skated for the Honeybaked organization in the Detroit area. Krug played for the 1991 team, while Kane was with the 1988s.

"I'd always watch him. You knew he was going to make his way to the NHL. He was always around the rink stickhandling a ball or a puck. It's pretty fun to see those guys move up and have the success that they do,'' Krug said.